The issue that I am adopting is Afterschool Enrichment Programs which I consider an immensely important element of the wraparound services mentioned in Reign of Error, Ravitch, D. ,2013,pp.257-258, Chapter 27, "Wraparound Services Make A Difference". I feel very strongly that Afterschool Enrichment Programs help students and their families both locally and nationally to build knowledge, strengthen self esteem, increase self confidence, improve creativity, promote academic success, as well as create strong beneficial relationships between schools and the communities that they serve which in turn helps students to thrive as individuals and to succeed academically.
I am enthusiastic about researching the national impact of Afterschool programs. My hypothesis regarding the national impact of Afterschool enrichment programs is that these programs level the playing field for students and families of all socioeconomic backgrounds. I will show how Afterschool programs can provide nutrition,community health opportunities, school supplies, professional skill development, and personal growth opportunities for students and their families. I will give examples of nationwide programs that I believe are most effective and offer research based evidence for my conclusions.
In my research of local Afterschool enrichment programs, I plan to include a local 21st century skills grant funded program that I believe is a best practices model for our area school districts and will describe the various aspects of these local Afterschool enrichment programs as they work to assist students and families to succeed beyond the school day. My example for a long term Afterschool enrichment program using state, federal, and local resources will be a program that I was employed to help assist with at Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. It is my goal to offer insights regarding the many facets of this program and how it serves as a crucial wraparound service within the Davisville community and has done so for more than a decade. I will also highlight the importance of summer season continuation of afterschool enrichment opportunities in regard to student academic success and developmental health needs.
Rhode Island has a large variety of school based wraparound services. I plan to highlight several specific programs and resources for students and their families that I have become knowledgeable about such as North Kingstown School District, RI Parent Information Network, RIASPA, and RI Center for Community and Justice to offer some examples of collaborations of school based and non-school based resources that strengthen communities. I will provide evidence of the success of these statewide programs as they are used by students and their families to improve overall health, financial stability, and can have lasting positive outcomes for students and their family members. In my research, I hope to offer an array of state resources for anyone working at the grade school level to be able to act as a referral source for our state's school aged children and their families, to make schools an epicenter of educational opportunities for all ages and stages, community health, family assistance, and safe places in which to learn and gather with other community members.
My research will be derived from educational enrichment grant source statistics, the US and Rhode Island Departments of Education, academic research web articles, local data regarding Afterschool enrichment and it's importance in connection to wraparound services mentioned in Ravitch, Ch. 27, in an attempt to answer the following questions:
1. Why are Afterschool programs important locally and nationally?
2. Why offer a continuation of Afterschool enrichment opportunities during the summer?
3. Why should the school district offer support for students' family members or reach out to the outlying community and just focus on state and local students?
4. Why should the school provide school supplies, food, and community events through Afterschool enrichment programs?
5. Why should grade schools extend educational and wellness opportunities to a student's family members?
I am aware that the wraparound element of Afterschool programs is a far reaching one which is why I chose it. I've seen the successes of well orchestrated Afterschool programs to drastically improve the lives of children and as a result build stronger families and communities. Afterschool enrichment is an enormous endeavor that teachers, school staff, school districts as a whole, and our local as well as federal government work tirelessly to address the many socioeconomic factors that may hinder a child's success during their grade school years and can stabilize families who are in transition for whatever reason.
I am enthusiastic about researching the national impact of Afterschool programs. My hypothesis regarding the national impact of Afterschool enrichment programs is that these programs level the playing field for students and families of all socioeconomic backgrounds. I will show how Afterschool programs can provide nutrition,community health opportunities, school supplies, professional skill development, and personal growth opportunities for students and their families. I will give examples of nationwide programs that I believe are most effective and offer research based evidence for my conclusions.
In my research of local Afterschool enrichment programs, I plan to include a local 21st century skills grant funded program that I believe is a best practices model for our area school districts and will describe the various aspects of these local Afterschool enrichment programs as they work to assist students and families to succeed beyond the school day. My example for a long term Afterschool enrichment program using state, federal, and local resources will be a program that I was employed to help assist with at Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. It is my goal to offer insights regarding the many facets of this program and how it serves as a crucial wraparound service within the Davisville community and has done so for more than a decade. I will also highlight the importance of summer season continuation of afterschool enrichment opportunities in regard to student academic success and developmental health needs.
Rhode Island has a large variety of school based wraparound services. I plan to highlight several specific programs and resources for students and their families that I have become knowledgeable about such as North Kingstown School District, RI Parent Information Network, RIASPA, and RI Center for Community and Justice to offer some examples of collaborations of school based and non-school based resources that strengthen communities. I will provide evidence of the success of these statewide programs as they are used by students and their families to improve overall health, financial stability, and can have lasting positive outcomes for students and their family members. In my research, I hope to offer an array of state resources for anyone working at the grade school level to be able to act as a referral source for our state's school aged children and their families, to make schools an epicenter of educational opportunities for all ages and stages, community health, family assistance, and safe places in which to learn and gather with other community members.
My research will be derived from educational enrichment grant source statistics, the US and Rhode Island Departments of Education, academic research web articles, local data regarding Afterschool enrichment and it's importance in connection to wraparound services mentioned in Ravitch, Ch. 27, in an attempt to answer the following questions:
1. Why are Afterschool programs important locally and nationally?
2. Why offer a continuation of Afterschool enrichment opportunities during the summer?
3. Why should the school district offer support for students' family members or reach out to the outlying community and just focus on state and local students?
4. Why should the school provide school supplies, food, and community events through Afterschool enrichment programs?
5. Why should grade schools extend educational and wellness opportunities to a student's family members?
I am aware that the wraparound element of Afterschool programs is a far reaching one which is why I chose it. I've seen the successes of well orchestrated Afterschool programs to drastically improve the lives of children and as a result build stronger families and communities. Afterschool enrichment is an enormous endeavor that teachers, school staff, school districts as a whole, and our local as well as federal government work tirelessly to address the many socioeconomic factors that may hinder a child's success during their grade school years and can stabilize families who are in transition for whatever reason.